One of Photoshop's key features is that almost everything in it can be controlled using keyboard shortcuts. This allows the user to stay in a creative thought pattern and quickly change tools in monotonous work that requires it.
F1 - Toggles Adobe Online Help
F5 - Toggles Brush style palette
F6 - Toggles Colour, Swatches, Styles palette
F7 - Toggles Layers, Channels, Paths palette
F8 - Toggles Navigator, Info palette
F9 - Toggles Actions, History, Presets palette
Tab (Key) - Toggles all the palettes on screen
Shift + Tab (Key) - Toggles palettes on screen, excluding the Toolbar.
Main Toolbar
Key Action Action Key
m Marquee Tool Move Tool v
l Lasso Tool Magic Wand Tool w
j Airbrush Tool Paintbrush Tool b
s Rubber Stamp Tool History Brush Tool y
e Eraser Tool Pencil Tool n
r Blur Tool Dodge Tool o
p Pen Tool Type Tool t
u Measure Tool Linear GradientTool g
k Paint Bucket Tool Eyedropper Tool i
h Hand Tool Zoom Tool z
d Default foreground and background colors.
x Switches between foreground and background colors.
q Switches between standard mode or quick mask mode.
f Switches between screen modes.
TAB Hides/Unhides open tools.
File Menu
Key Action
CTRL + N New
CTRL + O Open
CTRL + ALT + O Open As
CTRL + W Close
CTRL + S Save
CTRL + SHIFT + S Save As
CTRL + ALT + S Save a Copy
CTRL + SHIFT + P Page Setup
CTRL + P Print
CTRL + K Preferences > General
Edit Menu
Key Action
CTRL + Z Undo
CTRL + X Cut
CTRL + C Copy
CTRL + SHIFT + C Copy Merged
CTRL + V Paste
CTRL + SHIFT + V Paste Into
CTRL + T Free Transform
CTRL + SHIFT + T Transform > Again
Image Menu
Key Action
CTRL + L Adjust > Levels
CTRL + SHIFT + L Adjust > Auto Levels
CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + L Adjust > Auto Contrast
CTRL + M Adjust > Curves
CTRL + B Adjust > Color Balance
CTRL + U Adjust > Hue/Saturation
CTRL + SHIFT + U Adjust > Desaturate
CTRL + I Adjust > Invert
CTRL + ALT + X Extract
Layer Menu
Key Action
CTRL + SHIFT + N New > Layer
CTRL + J New > Layer Via Copy
CTRL + SHIFT + J New > Layer Via Cut
CTRL + G Group with Previous
CTRL + SHIFT + G Ungroup
CTRL + SHIFT + ] Arrange > Bring to Front
CTRL + ] Arrange > Bring Forward
CTRL + [ Arrange > Send Backward
CTRL + SHIFT + [ Arrange > Send to Back
CTRL + E Merge Down
CTRL + SHIFT + E Merge Visible
Select Menu
Key Action
CTRL + A All
CTRL + D Deselect
CTRL + SHIFT + D Reselect
CTRL + SHIFT + I Inverse
CTRL + ALT + D Feather
Filter Menu
Key Action
CTRL + F Last Filter
CTRL + SHIFT + F Fade
View Menu
Key Action
CTRL + Y Preview > CMYK
CTRL + SHIFT + Y Gamut Warning
CTRL + + Zoom In
CTRL + - Zoom Out
CTRL + 0 Fit on Screen
CTRL + SHIFT + 0 Actual Pixels
CTRL + H Hide Edges
CTRL + SHIFT + H Hide Path
CTRL + R Show Rulers
CTRL + ; Hide Guides
CTRL + SHIFT + ; Snap To Guides
CTRL + ALT + ; Lock Guides
CTRL + " Show Grid
CTRL + SHIFT + " Snap To Grid
Help Menu
Key Action
F1 Contents
Other Shortcuts
Key Action
Page Up/Down Move view up/down 1 screen.
SHIFT + Page Up/Down Nudge view up/down.
CTRL + Page Up/Down Move view left/right 1 screen.
CTRL + SHIFT + Page Up/Down Nudge screen left/right.
CTRL + SHIFT + Z Previous History entry.
CTRL + ALT + Z Next History entry.
SHIFT + - Previous blending mode.
SHIFT + + Next blending mode.
Ctrl Short Cuts -
Ctrl + N - New Document Dialogue Box
Ctrl + M - Curves Dialogue Box
Ctrl + A - Selects all in the currently foreground document or currently selected layer
Ctrl + D - Deselects all in the currently foreground document or currently selected layer
Ctrl + J - Automatically creates a duplicate of the currently selected layer
Ctrl + K - Preferences Dialogue Box
Ctrl + L - Levels Dialogue Box
Ctrl + F4 - Closes current document
Ctrl + ' (Single Quote Key) - Toggles Grid Lines
Ctrl + Q - Quits Photoshop altogether
Ctrl + R - Toggles Rulers
Ctrl + U - Hue/Saturation Dialogue Box
Ctrl + O - Opens New File
Ctrl + P - Print Dialogue Box
Ctrl + Z - Undo last Action
Ctrl + Tab - Toggle between open documents
Ctrl + Shift + C - Copy Merged
Ctrl + C - Copy
Ctrl + H - Toggle Extras
Ctrl + ; - Toggle Guides
Ctrl + Shift + ; - Toggle Snap
Ctrl + X - Cut
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + X - Pattern Maker
Ctrl + V - Paste
Ctrl + Shift + V - Paste into selection
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V - Paste Outside
Ctrl + T - Transform Tool
Ctrl + Shift + T - Repeats the last performed Transform
Shift + F5 / Shift + Backspace (Key) - Fill Layer Dialogue Box
Combination Number 9 Shortcuts - Ctrl + Shift / Alt -
Ctrl + Shift + O - Photoshop's File Browser
Ctrl + Shift + P - Page Setup Dialogue Box
Ctrl + Shift + S - Save As Dialogue Box
Ctrl + Shift + K - Color Setting Preferences Box
Ctrl + Shift + F - Fade Dialogue Box
Ctrl + Shift + X - Liquify Filter Tool
Ctrl + Shift + N - Create New Layer Preferences Box
Ctrl + Shift + M - Launches ImageReady
Ctrl + Shift + E - Merges all layers into a single layer
Ctrl + Alt + Z - Step Backward
Ctrl + Shift + - (Minus Sign Key) - Zoom Out
Ctrl + Shift + + (Plus Sign Key) - Zoom In
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N - Creates a new empty layer
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S - Save For The Web Dialogue
Ctrl + Alt (in most Dialogue Boxes) - Changes the 'Cancel' command to 'Reset'
Ctrl + Alt (in the 'Save For Web Dialogue') - Changes the 'Cancel' command to 'Reset' & the 'Done' command to 'Remember'
Ctrl + Alt + ~(Tild Symbol) - Selects the brightest area of the currently selected layer
Ctrl + Shift + I - Inverts a selection
Ctrl + Alt + X - Extract
Shift + -/+ signs(on a layer) - Toggles the different layer modes
Shift + Ctrl + Z - Step Forward
File Menu Shortcuts:
Ctrl+N: New Document
Ctrl+O: Open Document
Shift+Ctrl+O: Browse
Alt+Ctrl+O:Open As
Ctrl+W: Close
Ctrl+Shift+W: Close All
Ctrl+S: Save
Ctrl+Shift+S: Save As
Ctrl+Alt+S: Save a Copy
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+ S: Save for Web
Ctrl+Shift+P: Page Setup
Ctrl+Shift+M: Jump to Image Ready
Ctrl+Q: Exit
Viewing Shortcuts:
Ctrl+Y: Proof Colors
Ctrl++: Zoom In
Ctrl+-: Zoom Out
Ctrl+Alt++: Zoom In & Resize Window
Ctrl+Alt+-: Zoom Out & Resize Window
Ctrl+Alt+0: Actual Pixels
Ctrl+Shift+H: Show/Hide Target Path
Ctrl+R: Show/Hide Rulers
Ctrl+Shift+; : On/Off Snap
Ctrl+H: Show/Hide Extras
Ctrl+Alt+;: Lock Guides
Ctrl+;: Show Guides
Ctrl+': Show Grid
Tools Shortcuts:
A: Path Component Selection Tool
B: Paintbrush Tool
C: Crop Tool
D: Changes Default Colour Palettes To Black Foreground, White Background
E: Eraser Tool
F: Cycle Screen Modes
G: Gradient Tool
H: Hand Tool
I: Eyedropper Tool
J: Airbrush Tool
K: Slice Tool
L: Lasso Tool
M: Marquee Tool
N: Notes
O: Dodge/Burn/Sponge Tool
P: Pen Tool
Q: Quick Mask
R: Blur/Sharpen/ Smudge Tool
S: Clone Stamp
T: Type Tool
U: Shape Tool
V: Move Tool
W: Magic Wand
X: Swap Colours On Colour Pallete
Y: History Brush
Z: Zoom Tool
Layer Shortcuts:
Ctrl+Shift+N: New Layer
Ctrl+J: Layer via Copy
Ctrl+Shift+J: Layer via Cut
Ctrl+G: Group with Previous
Ctrl+Shift+] : Bring to Front
Ctrl+]: Bring Forward
Ctrl+[: Send Backward
Ctrl+Shift+[ : Send Back
Ctrl+E: Merge Layers
Ctrl+Shift+E: Merge Visible
Image Manipulation Shortcuts:
Ctrl+L: Adjust Levels
Ctrl+Shift+L: Adjust Auto Levels
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+ L: Adjust Auto Contrast
Ctrl+M: Adjust Curves
Ctrl+B: Adjust Color Balance
Ctrl+U: Adjust Hue/Saturation
Ctrl+Shift+U: Desaturate
Ctrl+I: Invert
Ctrl+Alt+X: Extract
Filters Shortcuts:
Ctrl+F: Last Filter
Ctrl+Shift+F: Fade
Ctrl+Alt+X: Extract
Ctrl+Shift+X: Liquify
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+ X: Pattern Make
Selection Shortcuts:
Ctrl+A: Select All
Ctrl+D: Deselect
Ctrl+Shift+D: Reselect
Ctrl+Shift+I: Inverse
Ctrl+Alt+D: Feather
Random Shortcuts:
Alt+Backspace: Fill with Forground Color
Shift+Backspace: Fill with Background Color
Alt+]: Ascend through Layers
Alt+[: Descend through Layers
Shift+Alt+]: Select Top Layer
Shift+Alt+[: Select Bottom Layer
Tab: Show/Hide All Palettes
